Page 66 of Knot Beneath the Mistletoe

“Earth to Ruby!” Ash’s voice makes me jump. He’s dangling a towel in front of my face. “As riveting as your text conversation clearly is, we’ve got customers.”

I look up to find the after-work business crowd starting to trickle in. Great. Just what I need—an audience for my crisis.

Gotta goes, work calls

This conversation isn’t over! And Ruby? Just be honest with them. With yourself, too. Also, send pics of Mountain Man’s arms for scientific purposes

I put my phone away, trying to ignore how it feels like it’s burning a hole in my pocket. Three unread messages from three different men sit in my inbox, each one making my heart race for different reasons.

“You know,” Ash says as he passes me with a tray of glasses. “For someone who owns a bar, you’re terrible at handling shots.”

I blink at him. “What?”

“You know, taking your shot? Making your move? Going for it?” He grins. “Though I suppose you’re doing okay in that department considering how many?—”

I slap his arm with my bar towel. “Don’t you have glasses to wash?”

“Don’t you have a love life to sort out?”

I groan, dropping my head to the counter.

He pats my head. “Now come on, these hipsters aren’t going to serve themselves. Though we could probably convince them that’s the new trend—self-serve craft cocktails—it’s very underground.”

Despite everything, I laugh. Maybe Lily’s right. Maybe I need to stop overthinking and just... be honest.

But first, I have to survive this shift without combusting from anxiety.

“Ruby!” Ash calls. “Table three needs their lavender-infused, locally sourced, artisanal gin and tonics!”

I got this.

Eventually, the after-work rush slows down, leaving only a few stragglers nursing their drinks in the corners of the bar. I’m wiping glasses while Ash regales me with his latest dating disaster—something about a guy who turned out to be a professional clown. Literally.

“So, there I am,” he’s saying. “Thinking I’m about to get lucky, and he pulls out this red nose?—”

The front door chimes, and I glance over.

Knox and Garrett walk in. Together.

My heart stops beating, and I freeze.

They’re talking like old friends, and something about that makes my stomach twist. Before I can process what I’m doing, I drop behind the bar counter, barely avoiding knocking over a rack of glasses.

“What are you—” Ash starts.

“Shhh!” I hiss, pressing myself against the lower cabinets. “Oh my God, oh my God, did you not see who just walked in?”

He stares out over the bar, then crouches down next to me with an amused expression.

“Ah yes, Mr. Hunk, one and two. They’re chatting like they know each other.” He stands, then frowns and looks down at me. “Oh, Mr. Three is here, too.”

“What?” I risk a peek over the counter, and, yep, there’s Dominic, all dark intensity in his fitted black t-shirt, striding in like he owns the place. The three of them together are like a perfect storm of everything I want and everything I can’t have. “Oh, fuck, kill me now.” My hands are shaking so bad, I have to grip the edge of the cabinet to steady myself.

“I need to get out of here. I need to run...” My chest feels too tight, each breath shorter than the last. “They know, they found out I’ve been with all three, and now they’re going to tell me I’m the worst person in the world...”

Ash crouches back down next to me, his usually playful expression serious for once. “Listen, it’s going to be okay, no matter what. I promise I have your back. And if they really like you, then they’ll find a way to work this out with you.”

“And if not?” My voice cracks. I don’t know why, but the fact of losing them now feels like I’m being gutted. I wrap my arms around my middle, trying to hold myself together. Something has changed in me. I don’t feel like the girl I was before, but someone who had fallen for three men stupidly, not thinking, and now, instead of trusting my instincts and going to speak with them, they’ve made that call for me.

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